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Covfefe Will Top the Field in Dogwood Stakes

Author: Clint Goodman
Published: Friday September 20, 2019
Covfefe, the Longines Test Stakes (G1) winner, will be topping the field in the $125,000 Dogwood Stakes on Saturday. The field will consist of six 3-year-old fillies, and the race is the featured event on the 11-race program at Churchill Downs. 

Covfefe will use The Longine Test Stakes (G1) as a prep race for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. 

The Dogwood, a seven-furlong race, will be Race 10 on the card, and the post time is at 5.26 p.m. ET. The first post for the card will be at 12:45 p.m. 

Impressive Workouts Going Into Saturday

Covfefe is trained by Brad Cox, and it will be her first start since she beat out Serengeti Empress, the Longine Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, in the $500,000 Test over seven furlongs that took place at Saratoga on Aug. 3. 

She is entering into the race on Saturday after having impressive back-to-back five-furlong bullet workouts. 

The Dogwood Stakes will be Covfefe's third time running beneath the Twin Spires. Her record is 6-4-0-1, with total earnings sitting at $483,300. 

Covfefe, the daughter of Into Mischief, won her debut in the September 2018 meet, and she placed third in the $120,000 Roxelana Stakes in June. 

"Our goal was to get Covfefe a grade 1 win, and we were able to do just that in the Test," Cox said. "She came back from the race quicker than we originally anticipated. It was such an awesome race that afternoon with two great fillies battling down the lane. She's come to Churchill and worked fantastic into the race. This race fits well on the calendar, and we don't have to ship her."

Covfefe will be breaking from the outside post in the Dogwood, and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will be on board.

The Dogwood Stakes is set to be a prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at seven furlongs. That runs on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park. Covfefe is looking to perform well so that she'll be ready for her next big step.

The Rest of the Field

Champagne Anyone is breaking from one post to the inside of Covfefe. The horse, out of Six Column Stables, Fred Merrit, John Seller, Stephen Harner, Gene Rice, and Jack Porter Jr., won the $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks. The Dogwood Stakes will be the first time he goes down to seven furlongs since February. 

Champaign Anyone has a record of 10-3-0-3, and his career earnings are sitting at $360,825. He finished fourth in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), and the Dogwood will be a shorter distance than he normally runs. 

In the $600,000 Alabama (G1) at 1 1/4 miles, he finished sixth, and in the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles, he finished fourth. 

He is trained by Ian Wikes. His son-in-law, Chris Landeros, will have the call. 

The field for the Dogwood in order of the post position (with jockey and trainer) is Bell's the One (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin); Take Charge Angel (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ben Colebrook); Free Cover (Robby Albarado, Bret Calhoun); Istan Council (Chantal Southerland, Larry Jones); Champagne Anyone (Landeros, Wilkes); and Covfefe (Bridmohan, Cox).

Covfefe will be looking to come out on top in what will be a good setup for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. 

A four-day week of racing has kicked off at Churchill Downs starting on Thursday.